Entrepreneurship is highly personal. You’ve heard me say it a million times we are 24/7 sales people!
So, with so much time and effort poured into our business, how could entrepreneurship NOT be personal, right?!
However, when you refrain from creating a barrier between the NO’s you receive in your business and your personal feelings about hearing those NO’s, they will start to take their toll. They’ll take a toll on your mindset, and even on your health if you let them.
This is something that I am so grateful that I learned at a young age. It’s one of the biggest things that can slow down the growth of any business, and keep us from sharing our gifts with the world.
It’s tough though! We have this fear around what someone might say about us, or what they might think. But, we need to take a step back and try to not take things so personally.
One VERY important note — You absolutely MUST keep putting yourself out there. Even if you are afraid of hearing NO, and how it will affect you.
Hearing NO and learning that things aren’t personal and being rejected will actually lead you to gain confidence in yourself and in handling those rejections.
Back in high school, I was a swim instructor. My first job was as a lifeguard, and I loved it! However, I had a thought, pretty early on, that I could make more money teaching kids swimming classes in their backyards, then by being employed by someone else. (I lived in Arizona at the time, and everyone had pools in their backyard.)
I was about 16 years old and I was putting myself out there, teaching personal swim lessons at people’s homes for their kids. It was an amazing experience, but it absolutely did not come without its share of NO’s and rejections.
In fact, I’ve heard NO SO MANY times that now when I hear one, it doesn’t even phase me.
I know not everyone is like myself or my guest on Success Unfiltered, Neva Lee Recla, where we have these experiences at a young age, but I can promise you that by putting yourself in these types of positions, it will help you overcome the NO’s and little hurdles, later in life.
The road is bumpy, it’s all about how you manage yourself over those bumps.
As Mel Robbins always says, “In order to do all those things you know you want to do with your life, you have to do things that are difficult, uncertain or scary.”
People Don’t Have to Like or Support You
Neva Lee Recla is a super inspirational kid entrepreneur. When Neva was only six years old, she attended a business conference called, CEO Space. She was SO excited to be there because she was showcasing her very first Hot Clothes for Kids video.
Neva and her mother had been going around asking people if they’d be willing to watch her new video, but when she approached one person in particular, he shot her down flat.
After thanking him for his time, Neva and her mother ran outside to take some deep breaths and cry a little bit.
Neva was very upset by him telling her NO, but what she did learn was that people don’t have to like you. People don’t HAVE to support you, and that’s OK. In the end. Neva had gotten SO MANY people to say YES to watching her video, that this NO was no big deal.
Hearing this NO also led Neva to do a little bit of self-reflection, too. She realized that she had interrupted a meeting that this guy was having, which may have led him to say NO.
She also tried putting herself in his position, to see what he might have been thinking or feeling. She realized that it probably wasn’t a personal thing, that there could have been any number of reasons he told her NO, that she didn’t even know about.
Neva decided she could walk away from the situation powerfully, and still love the person, despite hearing NO.
The most important part of this, is that it leaves Neva feeling happy, versus taking it personally and feeling awful. It would have the same affect on you! I sure I wish I knew this at 8 years old! If a kid entrepreneur can handle this, so can you.
Your Worth is NOT Determined By Your Company’s Successes
During the CEO Space conference, they have an event that they call “Snap.” During snap, entrepreneurs are given two minutes to run around and pitch the people in the room.
You’re welcome to pitch them about your book, your business, or whatever else you have going on.
Neva had attended this event with her mother and was planning to go around and pitch book sponsorships to some of these individuals. Many times these individuals will indirectly turn you down.
They won’t usually say NO, straight out, they’re more likely to say “I’ll scout for you.” Which is their way of saying you’re not a good fit for them, and that they’ll keep their eyes and ears open for someone who might be a good fit.
Neva heard this during the event a few times, but never let it get her completely down. She works hard to keep her energy up, and focused on the next task at hand.
Neva knows that she is worth so much more than the failures in her business, and that being a kid entrepreneur has no effect on her worth. She knows what incredible value she brings into the world.
In Conclusion
Neva shared with me that she works daily to take things less and less personally. Her goal as a kid entrepreneur is to feel powerful and loving towards herself and letting everything else fall away.
We can all learn so much from Neva!
Our journeys all have speed bumps, but taking the time to wallow in them and think of things as personal attacks is not the path to success.
Loving yourself and know you’re worthy is!
When you start taking things personally, how do you stop yourself and switch your mindset?
I’d love for you to share in the comments!
